What can I say. I am a sucker for a good haunted house story. I have read many haunted house stories and novels (The Legend of Hell House, House of Bones, The Shinning), and seen many haunted house films (House, The House on Haunted Hill, Rose Red) as well. (And I have been thought my share of Halloween spook houses, and ridden the haunted house ride at Disney Land, but I digress.) Most recently in the haunted house vein, I read (or listen to) Soul Storm by Chet Williamson.

Let me start by saying that Soul Storm is an excellent haunted house story. It brings strong characters, an interesting twist on the cause of the haunting, and good story telling together to tell the story of The Pines. The Pines is a house in the wilds of Pennsylvania with a past filled strange and supernatural events. David Neville, owner of The Pines, has recently restored the house. David Neville is dying, and David wants proof of life after death. David plans to use The Pines to achieve that end by spending a month locked in The Pines with his wife, Gabrielle, and three men hired for a million dollars each to be his witnesses and protectors: Kelly Wickstrom, George McNeely, and Seth Cummings. The five are then sealed in the house with locks and steel plates, and must try to survive the house and each other.

So as I said I enjoyed Soul Storm. The story is well told with strong interesting characters that I cared about. The end was appropriate. It was an excellent read, and, in typical Chet Williamson’s style, is filled with strong characters forced into trying situation. I give the story five out of five snark bites.

The reading was done by the author and is top rate. Chet Williamson is an actor as well as a writer and he does a good job reading his own work. I do have to say that at a couple of points he seemed to slip out of character while reading dialogue, but it didn’t take away from the reading as a whole. I give the reading four out of five snark bites.

So overall, if you like haunted house stories or stories about people put in trying survival situations you should pick up Soul Storm. If it s great read (and listen). I give the unabridged audio version of Chet Williamson’s Soul Storm four out of five snark bites.